Week 39 - Contempo Cafe - Quick Dining at Disney Contemporary (Sept 23)

We spent an afternoon at Disney's Contemporary Resort and grabbed lunch at the quick dining option, Contempo Cafe.

We shared the cheese flatbread pizza (good, but not great). We're just not that into flatbread pizza. We had a Hawaiian flatbread pizza at the Polynesian over July 4 and felt the same way. My husband enjoyed the green beans with sesame seeds. He declared it his new "best food bargain at Disney" which replaces his favorite breadsticks with sauce economy option. Out of curiosity, we also ordered the homemade chips. I wouldn't do them again. Pricey for the quantity you get and not freshly prepared.    

I still get a little lost at the Contemporary ever since a major renovation was completed at the hotel sometime around 2009. So many things I used to know so well have changed. Entire restaurants changed - not only locations, but floors. In particular I miss the Contemporary Food and Fun Center. 

The Food and Fun Center was once located on the main lobby level, which to me, always felt like it was "downstairs". I liked it. As the name suggests, it had food and fun. After the renovation, that space is now occupied by the Contemporary's newest restaurant, The Wave. 

The Contempo Cafe is located on the main upper level called the Grand Canyon Concourse. It occupies the space of the now defunct Concourse Steakhouse. It is literally right next to Chef Mickey's Character Buffet. In fact, if you peek over the wall you can see the characters making their way around the restaurant. You'll also see and hear birds flying overhead. Yes, real birds. They fly in the same tunnel as the monorail.

Finally, being the picky eater I am, I find it very difficult to find something to eat at the Contempo Cafe. The Food and Fun center had traditional hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken nuggets. While Contempo Cafe offers an Angus Cheeseburger, I find myself not wanting to order anything. Lots of sandwiches with condiments and breads I don't care for and other items only available during dinner hours.

Finally, I don't care for the ordering process. It is similar to what they implemented at the Polynesian. Guests must first self-order at a Kiosk (the germaphobe in me hates to use the touchscreen right before I eat); then pick-up any ala carte items (fruit, bottled drinks, desserts); and then walk over to the cashier who provides you with a pager. I find it inconvenient and not very time efficient.

I'm looking forward to returning, though. I have my eye on a red velvet cupcake topped with a towering amount of frosting.

Week 33 - Port Orleans Riverside Mill Food Court (Aug 16)

This afternoon we decided to cool off at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside resort. Since it was a little early for lunch, for we first picked up some cold drinks and then headed over to the River Roost Lounge.

The lounge doesn't officially open until late afternoon so we had the whole place to ourselves to just sit back and relax.

After time at the River Roost, we decided to grab some lunch at the Riverside Mill food court. Today we shared a Muffaletta sandwich. I've always shied away from this sandwich, but my husband has always wanted to try it so I finally gave in.

Let me list the reasons I'm not attracted to this sandwich. First, the name. Muffaletta. Really? What is that? It sounds completely unappetizing to me. There's no description on the menu board so I guess I'm just supposed to know what this is. I've since looked it up and this is what I found...

New Orleans is home to the Muffaletta. So, I guess that makes sense since we're at Disney's Port Orleans resort. It is filled with Italian meats and cheeses plus (and this is the unique part) a special olive salad. The sandwich is also made with Muffaletta bread - a dense round loaf. Sandwiches are traditionally served as one-quarter or one-half of the loaf.

If you've ready my other blog entries, including my Disney pizza reviews, you know that I don't like a lot of bread. And, every time I have looked at this sandwich, I see a meat to bread ratio that just doesn't appeal to me. My husband, on the other hand, loves bread. Which is why he also ordered the breadsticks and marinara.

The breadsticks look awesome, but they are hard as a rock. I didn't even try one. My husband much prefers the soft breadsticks and sauce available from Pop Century. OK... getting back to why I don't like the Muffaletta sandwich. I'm also a very picky eater and I don't like stuff I can't identify in my food. I actually like olives quite a bit, but there is much more than olives in the special "olive salad". It is an Italian marinated blend of olives, celery and cauliflower along with some spices and other things I couldn't identify. If it were only marinated olives, I'd be in business. Instead, I cut a small piece off the back-end of the sandwich which had just a little meat and no "stuff".

Since we shared a sandwich, there was room for dessert. I went for the chocolate cupcake and my husband went for the chocolate cake.

Both were yummy, but the icing on my cupcake looked like someone had already taken a bite out of it. My husband picked up the desserts while I sat at the table, so I did my best to ignore the missing icing and assume nothing icky happened to it.

Finally, after an afternoon of eating and drinking we dropped by the Riverside Mill restrooms before heading out. To our surprise, they were completely renovated:

While I'll never complain about a brand new bathroom at Disney (this one had a lot of beautiful and quality tile work), I'm a little disappointed that they didn't maintain the rustic "old South" theming this restroom once had.

Week 28 - Pop Century Nachos (July 14)

Today was a brief visit over to Disney's Pop Century Resort. I actually started to not feel well so we cut our visit short.

It was a very hot day and near to us in the Everything Pop Food Court were paramedics who were attending to a young boy about 3 years old. It appeared he was being checked out for heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are both very serious conditions that affect Disney visitors who push their limits in the heat. I can't tell you how many times we see ambulances at the resorts and parks - especially during the hot days of summer. Young children and older folks are most at risk. Remember to take it easy and stay hydrated!

Anyway, we grabbed a quick snack. My husband loves ordering the bread sticks with marinara sauce because he thinks it is the best food deal in all of Disney. I'm not that much into dense bread (I prefer a crisp outer crust with a light yeasty inside) so I let him go at it all by himself. Today, I wanted to stay on the plainer side so I went for the nacho chips with cheese.

Both items were as expected... although I did wind up sharing the nachos and cheese with hubby.

Week 27 - Magic Kingdom July 4 Fireworks (June 3)

If you're impressed by the regular nightly fireworks at Disney, then you'll be blown away by the Fourth of July fireworks show at Magic Kingdom.

In addition to fireworks, the Magic Kingdom enhances the experience with patriotic narration and perfectly timed music. Magic Kingdom typically displays the Fourth of July fireworks on both July 3 and July 4. We like to visit on the 3rd because it tends to be less busy.

We started our July 4 celebration by visiting Disney's Polynesian resort for a quick bite to eat at Captain Cooks. We decided to split a Hawaiian Flatbread Pizza and a side of fries:

The flatbread was a whole wheat crust which my husband didn't care for at all. I guess it was OK for the Hawaiian pizza, but I think I'd like it a lot less on the pepperoni variety. The sauce was very light - just about non-existent. The ham and pineapple topping was OK too, but very tiny (chopped) pieces. I wasn't pleased that it also included red onion. One of my pet peeves is not disclosing all ingredients in a menu description. There was no mention of the onion in either the paper menu we were handed at the door nor the self-serve on-screen ordering system.

The side order of fries was miserly. At at cost of $2.50, each individual fry cost us about 10 cents each. Captain Cooks didn't used to offer fries. We joked that maybe they put a Fry Baby back there and could only cook two dozen fries at a time.

After pizza, we enjoyed the Magic Kingdom "Celebrate America - A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky" fireworks show. My favorite part is always the grand finale:

    

Week 22 - Pirate Theme at Disney Caribbean Beach Resort (June 2)

A friend of mine just returned from a vacation in the Caribbean. After hearing about the trip, I wanted a little taste of the islands for myself so we headed off to Disney Caribbean Beach Resort.

While I was hoping to hear steel drums playing (tropical music always plays outdoors and in the Old Port Royale food and entertainment area), it was all about the pirates today. Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean to be exact.

It seems with the newest Pirates film now in theaters, Disney changed the overhead music track (at least while we were there) to theme music from the Magic Kingdom Pirates ride and possibly the movie. It was a relatively short track so you quickly get this "I've heard this before" vibe. Lots of dramatic loud music along with my favorite Yo Ho! Yo Ho! It's a pirate's life for me. Even though it is my favorite, I was still hoping for steel drums.

It was a beautiful sunny day and after strolling around Caribbean Cay. Caribbean Cay is an island accessible by footbridge just beyond the mail pool. It has winding paths and places to stop for relaxation or play including romantic gliders for two, gazebos with bench seating for the whole family, comfy hammocks and a children's playground.

We returned to Old Port Royale to grab a sandwich. We often seem to just miss the opening hours for the Market Street Deli, but today it was open so we instantly opted for that station and selected the Philly Cheese Steak.

I don't want to say that the cheese steak was bad, because the overall quality of the meat was good and the bread was fresh. It was just super bland. Hardly any flavor to it at all. I still have to say that the Cheese Steak Wrap at Disney's Pop Century is still a best bet if you're after the flavor of Philly.

The sandwich is served with your choice of pasta salad (more what I would call macaroni salad) or homemade potato chips. The chips were unique but nothing super special. They were topped with an unusual blend of spices - one of which was sweet. I didn't care for the sweet. To me, it is similar to the cinnamon-infused white rice at the Magic Kingdom's Crystal Palace buffet. Ick... I don't want cinnamon in my rice.

Week 20 - Disney Refillable Mug Color Changes (May 19)

I've written a few times now about the new 2011 Disney rrefillable mugs and available colors. I first saw the new Disney mugs in March and noted 4 available colors (pink, blue, yellow and black).

A few weeks later, however, it seemed like the black color may have been in very limited supply because it was very difficult to find. We finally found just a handful of the Disney refillable mug in black in late April while at the Pop Century resort.

I commented a few times that the yellow color seemed to be extremely unpopular. Imagine my surprise when we again visited Disney's Pop Century and found no trace of the yellow mug - not a single one. And now, there was a very large number of the refillable mug in black:

I also mentioned that the past mug only had 3 color options and I had a theory about the Disney mug colors offered for 2011. Could Disney vacationers be back to only 3 colors?

Anyway, it was a hot day and it felt really good to chill out at the Everything Pop food court at the Pop Century resort. Among other snacks, we ordered up some cheese fries:

While the order was hot and had a good amount of cheese, the portion of fries was skimpy compared to other orders we have had - especially since they cost just under $4. Compared to the Disney chili cheese fries we had at the Caribbean Beach resort, I'd definitely have to say today's order had more cheese but less fries.

I've noticed at the different Disney resorts that portion control seems to be hit or miss - between resorts, shifts and servers. At times we've seen over-generous portions offered to one guest followed by a skimpy order given to the next. In rare cases (we mostly see this at Disney's Port Orleans) the cast members carefully measure portion size on a scale. They seem to measure mostly on the dinner items like the carved meats, however, we have seen the Pop Century nachos be put on a scale.

Week 17 - Burgers at Disney Counter Service Get Fancy (Apr 28)

When I need a quick bite to eat at Disney, I tend to gravitate to a burger. It's simple, you (usually) know what you're getting and you can eat it fairly quickly and easily. All things that work well for getting a burger at a Disney counter service restaurant.

Lately, Disney has been getting fancy with their counter service burgers - and I don't like it. Have you seen some of these? Do I really want or need fried shrimp on top of my burger (ala the "surf and turf" burger available at Disney Studios) or a Caribbean burger topped with fried plantains and a pineapple chutney. No... I do not. If I'm dining at a Disney sit-down restaurant, maybe. But not at the fast food joint.

I don't know who is asking for gourmet burgers at the theme parks, but it is not me. Let's face it, gourmet and fast food just don't mix. Personally, I think it has been done in an effort simply to charge more for the meal without adding much value. A burger at the theme parks used to average $8. The new designer burgers are more than $10 in the parks (and about a buck less from the Disney value resorts).

Today we tried the new designer burger offered at Pop Century. The burger was supposed to have Swiss cheese, bacon, fried onion straws and barbecue sauce for $9.29:

First, this burger (and the fries) were ice cold. Literally cold to the touch. It had to have been sitting out at least 20-30 minutes in the cold air conditioning. Had the burger been hot, it may have had a chance. I actually order a very similar burger from Chilis (at a very similar price) and really like it. This one from Disney, however, barely had any barbecue sauce and we're not even sure there was actually any cheese on it (neither of us tasted it). On the plus side, there were plenty of fried onion straws.

Bottom line, give me back a good old-fashioned Disney burger. It may not have been fancy, but it served the purpose for the average theme park guest. Save the over-priced fancy stuff for the sit-down restaurants where they belong.

Part of the issue is that I'm a picky eater. But, just the same, I think topping combos such as "smoked ham, bacon and smoked Gouda", "sauteed mushrooms, bacon and blue cheese" or "a veggie burger with Monterey Jack and avocado" belong somewhere else.

Week 14 - American Idol at Disney Studios (Apr 7)

Before heading off on the bus to the American Idol Experience at Disney Studios, we stopped at Pop Century to share a chili cheese dog with fries.

Sure... we could have had hot dogs at Disney Studios (Herbie's Drive-In has them) but Pop Century provided a quieter and more comfortable place for lunch. And, lucky for us, the meal we were served today at Pop was awesome. The fries had just come out of the fryer so they were HOT, fresh and plentiful and our server was generous with the chili and cheese. In fact, it think there was more on our dog than we recently had on our chili cheese fries at Disney's Caribbean Beach.

After lunch on this fine Disney vacation day, we hopped on bus to Disney Studios. A Dance Party was winding down the streets just as we arrived. It is always so much fun to arrive at a park during a parade with all the singing, clapping and music. It just immediately puts you into the theme park mood.

Disney Studios was super busy today. The wait time for Toy Story Mania was 120 minutes long! See my tips for visiting Toy Story Mania without much wait time. We skipped it today...

Our favorite event of the day was the American Idol Experience.

If I could actually sing, was younger and wanted to be a contestant on American Idol, I would definitely audition for a chance to sing on stage at Disney Studios. Throughout the day, contestants compete for audience votes. The winners from each round then compete in the final competition of the day where the big winner receives an American Idol golden ticket. This ticket grants the winner front-of-the-line privileges at any audition location for the next season of American Idol. Talk about a time saver.

My husband and I really enjoyed today's American Idol Experience at Disney. The audience warm-up guy was full of energy and really got the crowd excited. The "Ryan Seacrest" host plays the part well (with look-a-like hair and suits). Now that Simon has left the on-air show, I wasn't sure what the Studios judges panel would look like (in the past, there was a Simon-like character). Today, the panel of judges did not include a Simon, but all 3 on the panel were very kind at at times silly (calling one young contestant a chicken nugget).

Best of all, we had practically no wait to get in. We arrived close to door opening time and still had plenty of time to grab a good seat. If you're hot and want to sit down for a while in air-conditioned comfort, try out the American Idol Experience. It's a good time. 

Week 13 - Cheese Steak Wrap at Disney Pop Century (Mar 31)

It was another Disney vacation day for us at Pop Century. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a super rainy and windy day with even a few tornadoes in the surrounding area of central Florida (mainly to the west in Polk county). One of the areas hit hardest by the storm was the annual Sun n' Fun international fly in and air expo in Lakeland, Florida. A tornado flipped planes, uprooted trees and tore up tents. A few people were injured, but no life threatening injuries were reports.

Since we were forced to stay indoors we, of course, headed straight to the Everything Pop Shopping and Food court. For lunch we split one of our favorites - a cheese steak wrap:

We like this wrap better than the more traditional cheese steak sandwiches we've tried around the parks, including the Disney All-Star Resorts. The sandwich is filled with quality meat, just a touch of barely-noticeable onion (the way I like it) and melting white cheese. Eating half if actually quite filling.

My only complaint, and this is true of most Disney counter service food items - the wrap was not as hot as it could be. This wrap has been on the Pop Century menu for a long time now. Long ago they used to make the wraps to order. The meat was always hot of the grill and super fresh. These days, they pre-cook the meat and let it sit in a holding container. This makes the meat warm - not hot. Plus, there is a lot of liquid in the there. I supposed to keep it moist.

By the time you wait through the check-out line and reach your table, your sandwich is cold - especially if you are waiting in line behind someone who hasn't yet figured out how to use their Disney Dining Plan credits.

Don't get me wrong, it was still a tasty sandwich and one of the better offerings that Disney's Pop Century serves for lunch. I just wish they'd go back to cooking the meat to order. It makes for a hotter and better tasting sandwich.

   

Week 10 - Chicken Penne Alfredo at Disney's Pop Century (Mar 11)

Disney's Pop Century was quiet this afternoon which surprised us actually. Recent reports have noted that the parks have been busy with some long wait times at popular attractions. No doubt due to the many events going on at Walt Disney World in March... including the grand opening of the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival last week and baseball spring training going on at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex.

Our visit to Pop Century included sharing a dinner of Chicken Penne Alfredo along with a side order of breadsticks. My husband loves the breadsticks and thinks they're a great value (considering Disney pricing). Two breadsticks with a cup of tomato sauce for dipping is just under two bucks.

Today's meal was good, but not Pop Century's best effort. In fact, the same dinner we ordered at Disney's All-Star Music on February 3 was WAY better. Primarily, the food was cold. The chicken breast, while plump and meaty, was barely warm. The penne was a water-logged plate of severely bloated noodles. The alfredo sauce, thankfully, was creamy and flavorful this time - a few times we've had this dish, the alfredo sauce was watery.

We left the resort just as cast members were rounding up all the kids for a muscial parade around the Everything Pop Shopping and Food Court. Boy, is that ever noisy. Tamborines and drums all around. The kids are all smiles, though. Makes for some nice Disney vacation memories.

Week 8 - Beignets at Disney's Port Orleans (Feb 22)

We celebrated Mardi Gras 2011 at Disney just a little early by enjoying beignets at the Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory at Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter resort. Wow... that was a mouthful (I'm talking about the food court name, but the beignets were too).

Many people describe Beignets as somewhat of a donut. They're dough, they're fried, they're covered with sugar - LOTS of sugar. But that's the end of the similarities. If you're looking for a donut replacement, this really isn't it. I wouldn't even say it is similar to funnel cakes. I would say, though, they are worth a try. I mean, you're on vacation at Disney - treat yourself!

The beignets at Disney's Port Orleans are hand-formed and fried at the the time of order. Because of this, they are very hot - so be very careful with that first bite. The "pillows" of dough are filled with hot air. One bite lets out enough steam to give you a mini facial.

Next piece of advice... spread out the napkins. The powdered sugar goes everywhere. I bet the Disney cast members at this resort clean up more sugar than any other dining location.

I highly recommend creating your own Fat Tuesday celebration at Disney's Port Orleans. Just don't forget the napkins...

Week 5 - Disney's All-Star Music Resort (Feb 3)

Disney's All-Star Music resort was once our favorite bargain hotel (and still is for nostaglic reasons). At that time it was one of only two All-Star resorts. The other, of course, was All-Star Sports. Several years later, Disney added All-Star Movies.

One of the things I really enjoy about being at the All-Stars is that it is really like getting 3 hotels in 1. All three All-Star hotels are within walking distance of each other. The All-Star Music resort sits in the middle and this is where we spent most of our time today. We shared the Chicken Penne Alfredo with bread stick meal for lunch - and boy was it delicious. This same meal can be found at several of the value resorts. Some prepare it a little better than others. All-Star Music did it right today!

We typically park between Sports and Music. As we walked towards Music we could hear the fun in the distance. The All-Star Music tends to be the party destination for all three resorts - filled with popular music and activities for the kids. LOTS of scheduled activities from games to dance competitions and night-time movies by pool.

We walked through the entire resort, admiring the over-sized theming at each set of buildings. When we stay at this resort, we will like to request the Calypso section because it offers the closest distance to the food court and bus transportation to the Disney theme parks (but it can be loud). If you look close in the photo above, you'll see the giant yellow maracas. But... our favorite themed area is Broadway featuring big marquis, ticket windows and the sounds of Broadway tunes.

After several hours at the Music, we ended our day by strolling over to All-Star Movies for a walk among the over-sized characters like Toy Story's Buzz and Woody. And, by that time, we were hungry for dinner so we split a chili cheese dog. Another excellent choice. In fact, several people around us in line commented on how good it looked. We've had chili cheese dogs at other Disney resorts and they always have beans. I'm not a big fan of beans in my chili so I was pleasantly surprised to find the chili dog at All-Star Movies to be free of beans! Each time we're about half-way through our meal I realize that we should have taken a picture. Hopefully, we'll start remembering to take photos of our Disney meals.

Week 4 - Disney's Pop Century Resort (Jan 27)

Do you like to "Do The Hustle"... then on your next Disney vacation be sure to head over to Everything Pop (shopping and food court area) at Disney's Pop Century.

Every evening at approximately 6:00 pm guests in the food court area will notice that the overhead music briefly comes to a stop. In its place, is a recorded voice inviting these Disney hotel guests to join cast members in the center of the food court for a few toe-tapping, hand-clapping steps of that 1970's dance favorite - The Hustle.

During most "performances" cast members carry small signs that say, "Do The Hustle" and encourage nearby guests to join them. As soon as the memorable sounds of The Hustle" can be heard, a crowd of onlookers gather and cameras begin to flash as young and old take a step back into the disco era.

Now... I'm old enough to remember The Hustle in its heyday, and I even danced it - but not in the disco. No, I performed The Hustle on stage during a grammar school play. I was one of about 6 or 8 girls from class that learned the dance from one of our teachers. I don't remember the play exactly, but our part was to dance The Hustle to Sammy Davis Jr's, The Candyman. We were dressed in dark tops and white skirts (our Mom's were told to pin empty candy wrappers to our skirts).

To this day, each time The Hustle begins playing at Pop Century I'm transported back to 1975 - twirling on stage in my candy wrapper covered skirt and feeling on top of the world. Amazingly (to me, anyway) I remember the steps. My husband knows this and gives me a little nudge when we hear the announcer. Maybe one of these days I'll get up the courage to join the cast members for a few dance steps down memory lane.

Week 3 - Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort (Jan 21)

Today we spent an afternoon in the Caribbean. Well, close to it. We spent the afternoon at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. This moderate Disney hotel transports guests to a lush tropical paradise patterned after these popular vacation destinations - Aruba, Jamaica, Barbados, Martinique and Trinidad.

It's hard not to smile among all the brightly colored buildings and the upbeat island-style music playing throughout. The Caribbean Beach Resort holds some very special personal memories for us. Our first visit to this resort was 18 years ago when we were newly in-love. While sharing a meal of chicken fingers in Old Port Royale (the town center for food and shopping) another guest stopped at our table and asked if we were on our honeymoon (nope, just dating).

At that time, Old Port Royale was one of the very few places in Walt Disney World to enjoy the generously sized and perfectly battered and fried chicken fingers with a side of Ken's honey mustard dressing - delicious! We often returned to Caribbean Beach specifically for the chicken fingers. Later, they were much easier to find as the same chicken fingers became available at nearly every counter service restaurant throught the theme parks and hotels. So far so good.

Fast forward to today... the chicken fingers we once loved have been replaced with much less attractive chicken nuggets. While the fingers were (almost) always fresh and meaty, the nuggets seem to be more coating than chicken and are cooked so far in advance they are nearly always cold. And the delicious honey mustard? It has been replaced too by a Heinz product which is far less sweet - making it less appetizing as a dipping sauce.

My husband and I have had so many bad experiences with the chicken nuggets, we won't even order them any more. For today's visit to Old Port Royale, we simply shared an order of fries. The nuggets were introduced about two years ago followed by the switch to the Heinz mustard. We really hope Disney returns to the chicken strips and Ken's honey mustard.

At least the spirit of Caribbean Beach has not changed. Strolling along the tropical pathways along white sand beaches and hammocks still makes it a favorite place to enjoy a mini Disney vacation.